Mortimer Snerd

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Paul Winchel was a very good ventriloquist. His most famous dummies were Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff. His first appearence was on a radio show. The surprising thing is that it took him three months to appear on a radio show, and three months befor he had seen Edgar Bergen in his first movie. The next two or three clips are of paul winchel doing act or playing around.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Edgar Bergen was born onFebruary 16, 1903. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised in Decatur, Michigan. He learnt ventriloquism at the age of 11. By the age of 12 he had commissioned Theodore Mack to make him a dummy. The dummy made by Theodore Mack was Charlie McCarthy who became Edgar Bergen's life-long companion. Edgar Bergen's first performances were in vaudeville.Edgar Bergen's real name was actually Edgar John Bergren. After vaudeville, Edgar Bergen went on radio. He became so famous that he got his own radio show. Later he got some more dummies, such as Mortimer Snerd and lots of others. Then TV came along and radio shows disappeared. This would later become a problem for him for two reasons, the first was that his lips moved a lot so it destroyed some of the feeling that Charlie was alive, and the second is other talented ventriloquists who did not move their lips appeared, such as Paul Winchel. Over all, he stayed quite famous to the day he died. Edgar bergen died at the age of 75, on September 30, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

As you listened to Edgar Bergen,you probably felt as if Charlie MCcarthy and Mortimer Snerd were alive,and if you don't know who Charlie MCcarthy and Mortimer Snerd are, I will tell you. Charlie MCcarthy is a witty city kid,who is contradicting every one, bold, and never stops talking. Mortimer Snerd is a shy country boy, not very bright, some might even say stupid, but most say ignorant,and forgetful.

Edgar Bergen is a very good ventriloquist. His lips may move a lot,but back when radio was popular, this did not matter. What mattered was that he could make voices that were not his own. Ventriloquism back then was just about making voices. If you listened to Edgar Bergen without watching him you'd find out that it is hard to tell that charlie is a dummy.